Life's a Trip
by Oneturtledove
Summary: Our Dynamic Duo become intrepid travelers for a five day vacation. Much joy, happiness and bonding ensue.
1. Seaside

Disclaimer: Not mine

Spoilers: None really.

A/N: Just a happy little story as I sit here in the cold and wait for spring. I know that Scully seems a little OOC, but she's just a happy, happy girl.

* * *

"I'm going on vacation," she had said one night as they finished up some paperwork. "For a week. And you're coming with me."

He'd looked up at her questioningly, but the expression on her face told him that he really didn't have the option of arguing about it.

"Well, okay. When?"

"Next month."

"Where?"

"You'll see."

"Scully, can we even take our vacations at the same time?"

"Yes."

"How do you know I even want to go?"

"You don't. Which is why you're going with me. It's the only way you'll take a vacation and believe me, you need it really bad."

"Do I look that tired?"

"Yes. And so do I."

He'd sighed, sat back in his chair, and tried to figure out ways to get out of this.

He couldn't.

So that's how he found himself all the way across the country in the middle of May with his very excited partner, and a rental car headed for the beach.

"Can I ask why you chose the Oregon coast and not somewhere like California? It's warmer there."

"Warmer yes. Also really crowded and not all it's cracked up to be. I grew up there, Mulder. It wouldn't be a vacation. However, I love the beach and we used to spend summers here. It was a foregone conclusion."

"You look happy."

"I am thinking of cresting that final hill and looking over and seeing sand and ocean and candy shops. I _am_ happy."

He smiled as they drove west. She told him that they were going to the boardwalk first, which was about two hours from the airport. He'd offered to drive, and she'd accepted, leaning her seat back just a little and closing her eyes.

Serene was the first word that popped into his head as he stole a glance at her. He'd never seen her so completely at peace and happy before. It almost made his heart skip.

"The beach we're going to is the last stop on Lewis and Clark's trail," she said, looking out the window. "They have an arcade there. And don't let me forget to get seafoam."

"Seafoam?'

"It's like aerated molasses covered in chocolate."

"That sounds disgusting."

"It kind of is, but it's tradition. Once you start eating it you can't stop."

"Like the chips."

"Yeah, but much, much worse for you."

He chuckled as they came into town. He felt as if he hand stumbled upon a west coast Coney island. The old buildings painted that faux ocean blue, the white trim, the cobblestone walkways. Of course there was no amusement park, but that didn't really make a difference.

"Park in this lot and we'll hoof it," she directed. He could tell she was itching to get out of the car, so he parked in the first available spot.

She rattled off a list of things to do and he followed her, finding it kind of hard to match her brisk pace. She was like a little girl in the Barbie aisle of the toy store.

They entered a small store that was filled with different kinds of soda. There was "Lenin-ade" which was strawberry lemonade, something coconut flavored, and other ones that were written in foreign languages. Eclectic collection was correct.

They both chose one bottle of soda –bubblegum for him, sarsaparilla for her- and made their way out of the store and down the boardwalk to the beach. She stopped when they got to the beach and took her shoes off, sinking her toes into the sand.

"I've been thinking about this feeling for weeks," she said, leaning down and taking a handful of sand, watching as it fell from her fingers. "I used to try and find red particles in the sand. There aren't very many, so it kept me pretty occupied."

"What did you do when you found them?"

She shrugged.

"Felt accomplished."

He grinned as she stood up and walked over to the swingset.

"Scully," he said with a chuckle. "You're just full of surprises."

"I know," she said, jumping on a swing. "I just hope that you're not insinuating that I'm usually boring."

"Not at all."

"Come on, swing with me."

"I am finding I have very few choices as far as this vacation goes."

"Basically."

He rolled his eyes and jumped onto the swing too, trying to remember the last time he had been on one. He supposed he had been about seven.

He had to admit though, the feeling of the wind whipping around them, the sun shining off her hair, and the smell of the ocean all made him forget his initial unwillingness to go on this trip. Instead he found himself looking forward to the next few days, and hoping that he would see Scully like this the whole time.

"Hey," she said, noticing that they were swinging in tandem. "We're married."

"Aw man!" he shouted before bailing off the swing. Her laughter followed him down to the sand and she skidded to a halt.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I am."

"You didn't twist an ankle?"

"Scully, I know how to land off a swing," he said.

"Just checking. Want to go to the arcade?"

"You're not going to give me a moments rest, are you?"

"Once I lapse into a sugar coma from all the seafoam and saltwater taffy, you can do whatever you want."

"Oh joy."

They walked down the street together, looking in the shop windows and commenting on the seaglass decorations. He made a mental note to come back and buy the purple seaglass bracelet that she had been staring at.

They finally made it into the crowded arcade and Scully pulled a ten dollar bill out of her pocket and put it in the change machine. She gave him a handful of quarters and a serious look.

"Don't spend it all in one place."

"You mean don't blast it all on Whack-A-Mole?"

"Exactly."

He laughed and followed her over to the Skee-ball game.

* * *

At the end of an hour, they had accumulated over five hundred tickets. There wasn't anything of substance at the ticket counter, so Scully spent a few minutes giving their tickets to some kids that came up short for what they really wanted. He watched her with a smile then wrapped his arm around her shoulder when she joined him.

"That was nice."

"I guess. We should get to the hotel. I'm exhausted."

"Don't you want that seafoam?"

"I'll get some later."

He took her hand as they made their way back to the car.

"Good first day?" she asked as the sun set over the ocean.

"Perfect first day. What's tomorrow?"

"You'll just have to stick around and see," she said, squeezing his hand.

"I can't wait."


	2. Sunshine

It was hot.

And not just hot either. It was muggy. There was no wind at all and even though it was only in the 80's, Mulder was sweating. There wasn't much shade on the beach and of course, that's where Scully wanted to spend the day.

They'd gotten up fairly early, because Scully insisted on getting the sand dollars before the seagulls got them. They didn't find any sand dollars, but they did find a few jellyfish.

Scully was laying out on a towel, halfway through a book, while Mulder made lazy drip castles in the sand between them.

"Scully?"

"Hmm?"

"Can we do something?"

"Are you bored?"

"Kind of."

She sighed.

"Why don't you read that book you brought?"

"How can you spend a vacation reading?"

"Reading is a vacation. I never have time for it."

He sighed and looked down the beach.

"Hey Scully, what are those guys doing?"

She glanced up again and noticed the group of guys, throwing small boards down in the water's edge. They ran and jumped on the boards and rode them until the momentum ran out.

"Skimboarding," she answered simply. "Go try it."

"Me?"

"Why not? You'd never be able to do it at home."

"You think I can?"

"Sure. Go for it."

"Are you going to laugh at me if I fall?"

"I won't even be watching."

"Okay."

He stood up and headed over to the guys. Scully chuckled and watched him cross the beach. She had to say she kind of enjoyed seeing him in nothing but swimming trunks. Of course she would never be so bold as to say that she liked how he looked without a shirt. It was more the she was happy to see him out of the confines of a suit and an office and a bureaucracy. He was able to just be, and she was able to watch him. She liked seeing smiles that weren't wry, hearing laughter that didn't end after a few seconds. Just that was enough of a vacation for her.

She turned back to her book for a while, trying hard to keep her promise not to watch him. After less than five minutes, she failed miserably.

Mulder seemed to be catching on pretty well, or at least he was staying on the board. She chuckled a little as he wiped out, but managed to do it gracefully.

The next time she looked up, he seemed to be doing much better. He was even managing to do a few tricks. She was actually kind of proud of him.

He must have felt her watching, because just at that moment, he biffed it. Really badly. The board actually went flying up in the air and landed on his shin. She tried really hard to keep from laughing, but had to cover her face with her book when he looked up to see if she was watching. She stayed like that for a long time until she felt cold droplets of water on her legs.

"You saw that, didn't you?" he asked.

She tipped her sunglasses down and noticed the cut on his leg.

"Classy," she replied.

"Okay, so I don't want to get it infected and I'm thinking you might have a band-aid or something."

She rolled her eyes as he sat down on his towel.

"What am I, your nurse?"

"Yeah?"

"You're ridonkulous."

"What's ridonkulous?" he asked as she started to clean up his leg.

"Ridiculous. I guess."

"You say words that you don't know the meaning of?"

"You use the word logic."

"Oh, burn."

She chuckled and finished up with his leg.

"Thanks, Scully."

"You're welcome. Going to try it again?"

"Nah, I think I've had enough humiliation. Want to walk?"

"Sure."

They stood up and began to walk down the hot sand to the water. The sand made a strange squeaking noise under their feet, and sand flies jumped out of their way.

"You want to know what I've always wondered?" Scully asked, kicking the sand out ahead of her.

"What?"

"How do mermaids give birth?"

"You've always wondered that?"

"Well… yeah. I mean, for the sake of the argument."

"I think they're like fish."

"Fish?"

"The mermaid lays eggs, and the merman pollinates them."

"Pollinates?!" she laughed. "Mulder, I don't think you mean pollinates."

"Fertilize? I don't know, I'm not a mermaid."

She doubled over with laughter, covering her mouth.

"Oh Mulder, the things that you think of."

"You were the one wondering about the reproduction cycle of a mermaid!"

"Alright, maybe we're even then."

"Even, and ridonkulous."

"Indeed."

"It's hot out here," he commented, wiping the sweat off of his forehead.

"Yeah, it is. I don't think I can stand it anymore."

She suddenly peeled her t-shirt and shorts off, revealing a black, but very modest two piece. Before he could say anything, she took off running towards the water, through the waves, and dove in. He just stood there, his mouth agape, wondering what to do. Scully stood up from the water and raked a hand through her hair.

"Come on, Mulder."

"No way, it's cold."

"It's not bad," she shouted back. "Are you a wimp?"

He hated how persuasive she was.

He splashed into the water next to her and came up quickly, trying to get his breath back. Scully grinned as they stood in the water, the waves crashing around them.

"I can get you to do anything," she said, making her way back towards the beach.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"It's cold in here."

"Scully, that wasn't fair!"

* * *

The sky was a dark purple, almost onyx, and it had cooled off considerably. Mulder was building a fire on the beach so they could make S'mores, and Scully was standing in the surf, letting the water wet her ankles. She looked smaller than normal as she stood there, and he got up to join her, wondering what she was thinking about. He placed his hand on the small of her back and she turned to him with a smile.

"Fire's ready," he said, leaning closer to breathe in her scent. She nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his chest.

"I smell like the ocean," she commented. "I don't think I'll ever wash this sweatshirt."

"You sound like Marsha Brady-"

"When Desi Arnaz Jr.-"

"Kissed her on the cheek," they finished together with a laugh.

"Okay, now I understand the meaning of ridonkulous."

She laughed as he grabbed her hand and spun her away from him and back again. The water splashed up and made his pants wet, but he didn't really care.

"Dance with me," he said, moving them in a slow waltz.

"There's no music, Mulder."

"Doesn't matter."

She smiled and went along with it, letting him dance them through the water for a few minutes.

"As I recall, you said something about the fire being ready," she said after a while. "I would love a S'more right now."

"As you wish."


	3. Stingray

A/N: I am sooo loving this story. I have the whole thing planned out in my head, so clear I can taste it. I actually started with the last chapter, believe it or not… wrote it backwards for a while, then got too antsy to post and had to start in the middle. This chapter and one more and then I will super post. And you'll love me for it, I hope.

* * *

"So Scully, what's your favorite exhibit at the aquarium?"

"I like the sea otters. And the sharks. And the eels. I can't decide. What about you?"

"I don't think I could decide either. I always liked the touch tanks a lot, but I like watching all the animals underwater. It feels like they're weightless."

She smiled as they went into the aquarium and bought their tickets. One thing that she was loving about this trip was being able to disappear with him. They just became a part of the crowd, able to be whoever they wanted to be. No one really talked to them, and they could enjoy what they were doing instead of having to be investigators. She'd never had such a relaxing vacation before.

They wandered aimlessly through the building reading the placards next to all the tanks, and commenting on the colors of the fish. They spent a while at the touch tanks, Scully giggling as the anemones sucked their tentacles in. They watched as the sea cucumbers moved slowly from place to place and the spines of the sea urchins became rigid.

"Ever touched the stingrays before?"

"No way."

"Scully, where's your sense of adventure?"

"I don't want to touch something that stings."

"Look at the sign. If you touch it just on the wing with two fingers, it won't sting you."

"I don't know, Mulder," she said, watching as he reached in and touched a small stingray.

"Come on. It'll be a bonding experience."

He grabbed her hand and put into the tank slowly. She resisted him at first, but took a deep breath and just trusted him after a moment. Her fingers grazed the rubbery wing of the stingray for just a second before she pulled her hand back.

"Scully, are you scared of stingrays?"

"Not scared. Just cautious. It's like rubbing the stomach of an alligator to get it to fall asleep. It works, but no one in their right mind is going to go around doing that."

"I don't think an 800 pound alligator and a stingray are really comparing apples to apples."

"I don't want to get stung."

"Scully, you trust me, right?"

"I trust you. I don't trust the stingray."

He chuckled and took her hand, leading her away from the touch tanks and towards the sea otter exhibit.

"You like the sea otters, right?"

She just looked at him, her expression one of disapproval.

"Scully, don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I just…"

"You were scared."

"Okay, yes, I was scared."

"How come?"

She sighed.

"Once when I was a kid, we were at the beach and this little girl went out in the water and got stung by a stingray. I'm think she lived, but we never found out for sure. Ever since then… it's not even rational, but it can't help it. They freak me out."

"I'm sorry Scully. I didn't know."

"It's okay."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her temple.

"We're okay, right?"

"Yeah, we're fine, but you have to get me something from the gift shop."

"Oh alright."

* * *

"Can I have the last pepperoni?"

"It's on my side of the dish, Scully."

"I asked nicely."

"We can split it."

She rolled her eyes and pushed the pepperoni towards him while looking out the window. It was drizzly and gray outside, the perfect day to sit around an old pizza parlor, arguing over the last piece of pepperoni.

"You know what I've been thinking?" Mulder asked, wiping the condensation off of his red soda glass.

"Do I look like Kreskin?"

"Are you saying you believe in Kreskin's powers?"

"Mulder… what have you been thinking?"

"I've been thinking about why the Oregon coast is superior to any coast in the United States."

"Enlighten me."

"New England coast is too harsh. Cliffs and jagged rocks, wind storms and lightning, not to mention it being cold and the water being so salty. It's not a relaxing place because the earth there is not relaxed."

"You sound like Missy, but yeah, I agree."

"Then the rest of the eastern states there's hurricanes and senators and congressmen and no one wants to deal with that on a vacation. The southern states are either swampy, or keep their beaches to themselves, which makes them much better than the rest, but still not number one. Then Florida and California just try to hard. They show off their sun and sand and beach sports, but once you get there it's just a parade of tanned, big boobed, blonde women running around with moronic, in-debt jocks and it's crowded and depressing."

"No offense to those places, but yeah, they're like a sick fantasy world."

"But here, the weather is good, the beaches are nice, the tourists are sparse, and it doesn't try to be anything. It is what it is and that's good enough. It doesn't lure you in with promises of finding a hot date, or boast its wines and cheeses. It really doesn't pay attention to the rest of the world. It's just people living life, and they just so happen to live near the beach. It's pleasant here."

"Mulder, you just profiled the beach."

"Well, profiling is kind of my forte'. I mean look right now. It's raining. California beach goers would be screaming for cover, but here, everyone just puts up their hoods and slips into their rubber boots-"

"Tillamook loafers."

"What?"

"Tillamook loafers. Because they're like regular footwear in places like this, especially the town of Tillamook."

"Okay, so they slip into their Tillamook loafers, and just go about their business. They play on the beach or shop in the stores, or jog down the street. The rain is here, but they exist with it. It's a beautiful way of life."

She smiled and patted his hand.

"You're very eloquent today."

"The gloominess does that to me."

"Well let's go exist in it, and you can tell me more."

"Scully, I love how we understand each other."

"I'm rather fond of it myself."


	4. Starfish

She woke up fairly early, as the sun came through her window, and seagulls called outside. The smell of the ocean on the early morning breeze was intoxicating, and she could have stayed there forever. She stood up and threw her robe on, then drew open the glass door that led out to the deck.

People dotted the sand, already out enjoying the sunshine and water. The waves made the most comforting noise and the wind that ruffled her hair had her seriously thinking about capturing it in a bottle. This was the most blissful way to wake up, and she felt as if nothing could ever go wrong here.

She went into the bathroom and opened the frosted window. She could take a shower and still smell the ocean this way. Her shower was fast and she was soon dressed, knocking on Mulder's door. He was dressed and ready to go, looking more rested than she had ever seen him.

"Let's go to the beach," she said, sliding her sunglasses on. She'd gotten some sun over the last few days. Her hair had blonde streaks in it now, and try as she might to prevent it, her nose and cheeks had turned a light shade of pink. She didn't seem to mind.

They got into the car and drove the few minutes to the beach. The sky was popsicle blue and cloudless, but the wind kept the heat at bay. She left her shoes in the car and he could see her relax as soon as her feet hit the sand. Her father had loved the sea, and had it in his blood. His daughter was all about the beach. Mulder could see how at home she felt here. How tranquil and free she felt in the salty air. It was a nice change.

He joined her and they walked along the wet sand, picking up and examining shells, discarding the broken ones. They found mostly mussels and half sand dollars, cracked clam shells and tiny bits of white spirals. She was like a little girl when she happened to stumble across a whole shell, one that had survived the washing up on the shore, the feet of humans, and the curiosity of seagulls. She would pick it up and look it over, then take it to the water to rinse it off. She'd dry it off on her jeans, then place the shell in the pocket of her hoodie, and continue on her way.

He wasn't sure he ever wanted to start a morning differently.

They didn't talk very much, just enjoyed each other's presence. Their vacation was coming to a close, and it seemed that the slower they drove, the slower they talked, the slower they did anything made the trip seem just a little longer. He glanced back and looked and their footprints in the sand, side by side. Sometimes they were closer together, other times far apart as they went to retrieve shells. But they always came back together.

He could have plotted out their entire partnership on the line of their footprints.

"Look, starfish!" she announced, tugging on his hand.

There were indeed tons of starfish littering the sand. They must have washed up when the tide had been higher. He watched as she walked over to one and picked it up. She studied it for a moment before throwing it back into the ocean. She picked up another and repeated the process, and had thrown at least five back before he caught up to her.

He could have mentioned that the task of throwing the starfish back was a big one and would take forever. He could have teased her about the way she threw. Instead, he stooped down and picked up a starfish and threw it back into the ocean. There weren't as many as he had thought, and in a few minutes, all the starfish had been returned to their rightful home.

Scully walked over to the water and knelt down, rinsing her hands in the tide. Mulder crouched down next to her and did the same, the shock of the icy water sending a chill up his spine. She sat quietly, looking out over the water, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"I've always liked how everything disappears over the horizon," she mentioned, as a wave licked at their feet. "It's like, if you travel far enough, all you see is ocean. There's no job, no family, no stress. Everything else just floats away. You can just be. Maybe that's why they say that when you grow grim about the mouth and feel like knocking people's hats off, you should take to the sea."

"Probably," he agreed, standing up and drying his hands on his pants. "It makes you feel so small, but still significant."

"Yeah."

The silence stretched between them for several minutes before she stood up.

"My feet are frozen," she exclaimed with a little chuckle. "What was I thinking?"

He chuckled and took her hand and they made their way back down the beach.

"What do you want to do today?" he asked as their hands swung slowly between them.

"Let's see. We went shopping. We went to the Cheese Factory. We went to the boardwalk. We had seafoam. We went to the pizza place, and the aquarium. We had a beach bonfire. We swam in the ocean. We fed seagulls. There's only three things left to do."

"Only three?"

"We need to go to a light house. We need to find a candy shop and watch them make saltwater taffy, and we need to eat dinner at a real seafood restaurant."

"Alright. Which lighthouses are we close to?"

"Heceta Head is close, but we can go to Yaquina Bay or Cape Meares."

"Pull out your map and we'll hit all three."

"Then come back here for salt water taffy and seafood?"

"It's a plan."

They got in the car and she pulled out a map. After a few minutes of running her finger along the page and biting her lip, she nodded.

"We'll have to drive south, and I think we can only hit the two in Newport."

"Just tell me where to go."

She grinned and directed him to the highway. They'd driven a lot in the last week; up and down the coast and back again. Neither of them really minded. They just enjoyed being together, even if they were stuck in a car.

He turned the radio on and found a station they could both tolerate. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she looked out the window. Years had been taken off her appearance in the last few days, and he promised himself then and there that they would be back. She needed this, just like he needed to run. It was vital to her spirit.

* * *

"I don't think I can walk anymore," Scully said, raking her hair out of her eyes. They had just finished the tour of the lighthouse and were back on solid ground. The car was parked pretty far away and she looked towards it with trepidation.

"What are you going to do, crawl?"

She sighed and gave him the puppy-dog face. He sighed back.

"Hop on."

She giggled (yes, giggled) and hopped on his back wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I feel like a third grader," she commented as they headed towards the car.

"You look like a third grader, Pinky."

"Stop making fun of my sunburn."

"It amuses me," he replied, planting a gentle kiss on her wrist.

"We don't do this," she said as he stepped over a curb.

"Do what?"

"Act like normal people."

"We're usually too busy working."

"Oh that."

He grinned and settled her on the ground so he could open the car.

"So what's next, salt water taffy?"

"Yes sir. I saw a place across the street from where we were shopping yesterday."

"You just want to go shopping again," he said as they slid into their seats.

"I'm shopped out. I just want some taffy."

"You still have sea foam at the hotel."

"I know… but I need taffy too."

"You amuse me greatly."


	5. Sand Dune

A/N: This is not the last chapter... three more to go, I promise.

* * *

"I need to walk off this crab," Mulder said as they made their way out of the seafood restaurant.

"I told you to get a half order."

"Half orders are for wussies."

"I wouldn't think any less of you, Mulder."

He laughed and took her hand, leading her down the sidewalk. This week had opened up a new facet in their friendship. They'd always expressed themselves through small physical gestures- a hand on the back or shoulder, fingertips across a feverish face, lips to forehead- but now things were less measured, less purposeful. This didn't mean they had less meaning. It was just a different kind.

"I think," she started, turning halfway to face him, "that this is the best vacation. Ever."

"I agree," he said with a smile. "I'm glad you begged me to come."

"I'm glad you have no willpower."

"Ha, ha, you're a riot."

She grinned as he pulled her closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"I don't want to leave tomorrow," she admitted with a sigh.

"I don't either. We should make this a yearly trip. Get away from it all and really relax."

"There's one more place I want to take you before it gets dark."

"Yeah? Where?"

"It's this summer camp I went to as a kid. I think it's my favorite place in the world."

"How long will it take to get there?"

"Twenty minutes, tops."

"Alright, let's go."

They walked back to the restaurant parking lot and got in the car, Scully in the driver's seat.

"Did I ever tell you about summer camp?" she asked, once they were on the highway.

"I don't think so."

"I think I was 8 or 9. My cousin Maegan was going to camp for a week and since we were already going to be here for vacation, my parents let me go too. Of course, Missy was really jealous, which only made the idea more appealing to me."

He laughed at that, imagining a young Dana and Melissa competing and fighting with each other.

"I ended up coming here every year until I was 14. Maegan and I were in the same cabin every year, always the same beds. There was a spider that lived in the bathroom and I remember that the bunkbeds were metal and painted orange. There was always sand on the floor and in the bottom of my sleeping bag. I remember waking up in the morning and setting my feet on the floor and getting mad because there was sand on my feet again."

"You've never liked getting dirty."

"Not particularly."

He smiled and looked out the window as she turned the car off the highway and onto a small paved road. It wound down around a wooded hill and spit them out in a clearing where they could see sand dunes. She parked the car in a small lot and they got out, looking around.

"It's a summer camp and there's no camp going on?"

"Not this week. I checked the internet before we came."

She slid her hand into his and tugged him towards the first big building.

"That's the gym. Behind it there's kind of a swampy area, and you can get to the lake that way. Then those are the bathrooms, but they always stunk, so no one went in those ones."

They walked a little further and she pulled him off the dirt road.

"This is where we'd have campfire. If we were really quiet, we could hear frogs and stuff, and sometimes you could even heard them jumping into the water."

"It feels like _Fern Gully_ back here," he commented, taking in the green, mossy dampness of the area. The trees were thick and the whole place felt like a protected fortress.

"Come on, there's more to show you."

He chuckled and followed her, listening to her narrative as they made their way deeper into the camp.

"That's the Snack Shack. We would get soft serve vanilla ice-cream and Skittles every afternoon during free time. And there's where we went swimming. You could also take paddle boats out, which turned out to be a really bad idea."

"What happened?"

"Well, everything was fine until we got too close to a stand of reeds."

"Did you sink the boat?"

"Actually, it's more like we sunk the reeds. We weren't so good at steering and we ended up on top of the reeds, and we couldn't get off of it."

"What did you do?"

"We were just stuck. We thought about swimming for the shore, but neither one of us really wanted to get wet, so we just kept pedaling and moving the rudder and… stop laughing."

"Were you crying?"

"Of course not. I was cursing, but I wasn't crying. Eventually, we managed to get the boat turned the other way and get off the reeds."

"Did it ruin the boat?"

"No, but the reeds had seen better days. They looked like whipped cream."

"How's that?"

"They were all spiraled up, like when you put whipped cream on pie."

He laughed and she shook her head, pulling him back down the road.

"That's the cafeteria. The bacon tasted like seaweed. And this, right here was my cabin."

"Yamhill West."

"Yep."

She climbed up onto the bench that was below the window and peeked in.

"That was my bed over there," she said. "The top bunk in the corner. Maegan slept on the bottom. There was a girl named Tracie that slept across from me one year. She talked a lot and got us in trouble when we were supposed to be asleep."

"You remember a lot."

"I loved camp," she answered, jumping off the bench. She headed down the road and he followed after her. They walked quietly for a while, the woods getting slightly thicker until they came to a bridge.

"This is the creek that runs from the lake to the ocean. This was my favorite place and my least favorite place too."

"How come?"

"I loved how quiet it was. I could come here and sit and not have to be around anyone. But I also hated it because it was the end of camp. It's the southernmost point of the property, and it was kind of like the magic ended."

She climbed up on the slats of the small bridge and watched the creek flow lazily below her.

"I used to imagine that I could shrink down and sit on a leaf and float out to the ocean. I'd close my eyes and sit right there and imagine how it would feel to just drift."

"That's not really your inclination anymore."

"Sometimes it is. Come on, it's gonna get dark soon."

She broke into a run and he followed her as she made her way towards the beach. It wasn't a frenzied run but he had to work hard to keep up. She came to the sand dune and began to climb it, the sand slowing her progress so he had time to catch up.

"Scully, where are you going?"

"The top of this dune. It's the most amazing feeling, looking out over the water, especially this time of night."

They made it to the top and she stopped suddenly, catching her breath and closing her eyes.

"Smell that? The whole coast has a smell, but right here on this stretch of beach, somehow, it's different. I get this strange feeling in my stomach when I think about it or see pictures, but being here, it's like… I feel totally complete and content, and like all the stress goes away."

"Wow," he whispered, his eyes fixed on her face. "I've never heard you say something like that before."

She smiled and turned to look at him.

"You've never seen me here," she countered. "I wish I could start out every day with this feeling. I can't even really describe it."

"Maybe when you retire you can get one of those beach houses you were eyeing yesterday."

"Maybe."

Her feet sunk into the sand and she ached to put them in the water, but knew they needed to leave soon. Taking one last deep breath she headed down the dune. They made their way slowly back to the car, but halfway there she took his hand and led him back to the bonfire area.

"I had my first kiss at camp," she offered, leading him through the trees.

"Who was the lucky guy?"

"Chad. I don't remember his last name."

"Oh, so he was a soulmate."

They came out of the woods and to a gazebo that had a deck over the lake.

"It was right here," she said, coming to a stop on the deck. "We were fishing and I'd just caught a trout or something and I turned around and… he just kissed me."

"Did you go steady?"

"Mulder, it was summer camp. I never saw him again."

"Did it break your heart?"

"I recovered," she said with a laugh. "We'd better get going."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Just one more stop."

"Where?"

"See that the top of the hill up there?"

He looked up to where she was pointing and found three rugged crosses on the top of the hill.

"From up there, you can see the whole camp and the ocean and the lake all in one look. I wanna see it before we leave."

They got into the car and she drove out of the camp and partway up the road they had come in on before making a left turn onto an even smaller road. It curved and dipped and made its way slowly up the hill where she finally parked at the top. She walked towards the crosses and for a while he was content just to stand back and watch her. She stood unmoving, except for her eyes which were scanning the land below her. There was a serenity in her features, one that was not a surprise, but certainly not familiar either.

He walked up slowly behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, his lips brushing against her ear.

"Nothing. It's morbid."

"Scully, compared to what we do for a living, nothing could be morbid."

"When I die I want my ashes spread here."

"Okay, I stand corrected."

"I'm sorry. Sometimes I just think about those things."

"I know."

Silence blanketed them for a brief second before the hum of crashing waves registered in their ears.

"Okay, time to go," she said, gently pulling out of his arms.

"You're ready?"

"I'm ready."

He nodded and they got into the car, leaving the beach behind them for the last time.


	6. Sleep

A/N: I am glad people are liking this story as much as I am. Makes me happy.

* * *

Scully flopped down onto the hotel bed and kicked her shoes off, burying her face in the pillow. She heard the door close behind her and felt Mulder flop onto the bed next to her.

"Hey, get your own bed."

"Yours was closer."

"But you're in my way," she said, trying to push him in the other direction.

"Maybe you're in my way."

"It's my bed!"

He glared at her and growled a little before rolling off the side of the bed and standing up.

"I need dessert."

"Oh really?"

"I'm longing to try the vanilla soft serve and Skittles."

She chuckled and rolled over onto her back to look at him.

"It's good with gummi-bears too."

"I'll be back in a few minutes."

The door closed behind him and she snickered to herself. She could get that man to do anything, even without trying.

She rolled off the bed and searched through her suitcase for some pajamas. She finally found a pair of black lounge pants and a pink Henley and changed her clothes quickly. She repacked her suitcase and made sure that she wouldn't forget anything when they left in the morning. She thought about going over and packing for Mulder, but she figured his hotel room would be pretty trashed and she'd never find everything anyway.

She opened the door to the deck and moved the curtains so the breeze could come inside. The earth was still and all she could hear was the crashing of the waves on the shore.

She didn't want to leave. Didn't want to deal with tomorrow. Didn't want to go home to her lonely apartment where open windows brought in the smell of car exhaust and cigarettes. No one ever wanted to go home after a vacation, but this time, for some reason, it felt worse. It felt like the end of something great.

She shoot the feeling away and sat back down on the bed, turning the TV on and flipping through the channels. There wasn't very to choose from, but with a little patience, she came across _Anne of Avonlea_. It had just started and she settled back into the pillows to watch the story unfold.

Anne reminded her of herself- stubborn, feisty, and misunderstood. Maybe she wasn't as much like that now as she used to be. She was more able to pick her battles now than she had been as a kid.

The door opened a while later and Mulder came in with two plastic containers of ice cream and a brown paper bag.

"You're awesome," she said as he sat down next to her.

"Yeah, I know."

She laughed as he handed her the plastic bag. It was full of candy and she smiled knowing exactly what he was thinking.

"We're going to find the absolute best ice-cream topping combo ever."

"The gummi-bears and mini-oreo's are looking kind of promising."

"We're going to be sick."

"Yeah, but it's vacation."

* * *

Two hours later, she was fading fast, her eyelids drooping and staying closed for longer periods of time before she opened them again. Her head fell gently against his chest and she tucked herself under his chin, her arm draped across his stomach.

"Scully?" he whispered, not sure if he should stay or go.

"I'm cognizant of what time it's become," she mumbled.

"I think it's bed time for you," he answered back, pulling the blankets tighter around her. He left a kiss on her forehead and moved to stand up, but her fingers curled around his shirt. He laid there quietly for a moment, his fingers grazing over her arm. She looked so perfect right there next to him, like that's where they both belonged. He'd always thought that, but tonight, in the platinum illumination of the moon, he truly felt it in his soul. He wanted to ask her if he should stay, but he couldn't bear to wake her, so he got comfortable where he was. She stirred a little as he moved, her eyes cracking open and meeting his.

"Mulder?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"Stay here."

"I will. Goodnight."

"'Night."

The waves outside pulled away their last strains of awakeness, and they both drifted to a sleepy, peaceful place together.


	7. Solace

It was their last night of vacation, and Mulder couldn't help but feel a little sad. They'd been having so much fun just being together. The smiles and laughs were just the tip of the iceberg. The best parts were the moments of silliness, the long talks, the words that she spoke without filters. He'd always felt a connection to her, but never like this. He wondered if the bond would fade once they went home.

They were staying at a hotel near the airport, so they could make their flight home in the morning. Scully hadn't wanted to leave the coast earlier, and Mulder was pretty sure she would move there if she could. She'd been quiet on the drive in, not singing to the radio as she had been for most of the trip. Maybe the constant activity had finally caught up with her.

She knocked on their joining door and poked her head into his room.

"Want to go for a walk?" she asked.

"Sure."

He grabbed his key and followed her downstairs and outside. The moon was glittering off the river, a silver sparkle that reflected in her eyes as they walked. He couldn't help but stare at her, and found his hand twitching, wanting to reach for hers.

"Mulder, I have something I need to tell you," she said, stopping on the sidewalk.

"This doesn't sound good."

She walked slowly to a bench and sat down, suddenly looking cold and tired. Mulder sat down beside her and she turned to face him.

"I don't want you to be upset that I didn't tell you earlier. I just couldn't form the words. And I didn't want to ruin the vacation either."

"Scully, what's going on?"

"We've always wondered if and when it would happen. It's been there in the back of our minds, niggling and picking, and maybe that gave it some kind of power."

"What are you talking about?"

"Mulder, I've come out of remission."

He stared at her for a moment, not sure if he had heard her correctly. She couldn't possibly have said that she was out of remission. That didn't make sense. It wasn't supposed to happen. Everything was supposed to be okay. The chip was supposed to work and this wasn't supposed to happen.

"Scully, I don't… I can't… I don't believe what you're saying."

"I didn't believe it at first either. But Mulder, I've looked at my charts and scans and test results. The doctors are right."

"So what do we do?"

She sighed and drew her knees up to her chest.

"There's an experimental treatment I can try. It'll be a lot like chemo. I'll be sick and in pain, and it might not work. I don't know if I can handle that again. And for nothing?"

"Scully."

"Mulder, I feel good now. I want to keep feeling that way. I don't want to be sick all the time. I haven't made a decision yet, but the thought of facing all of that again, possibly worse this time? I don't have the strength for that."

It was his inclination at that moment to beg and plead with her to at least try. But that was selfish. He should want what she wanted, and no matter how much he loved her and wanted her by his side, he should understand what she needed, and how she was feeling. So he did the hardest thing he would probably ever do in his life. He took a deep breath, and made a commitment.

"Whatever you decide, Scully, I'll be there."

"Thank you."

She reached over and brushed away the few tears that were falling from his eyes. He hadn't even noticed them, and the gentle act only made them fall faster.

"I don't want to lose you," he whispered, taking her hand in his.

"I know, Mulder. But let's not think about that now. For now, we are still on vacation. We don't have to think about this again until my next appointment."

"I can't just forget about it, Scully."

"Try."

There was a lump in his throat and he tried several times to swallow it. His head was bowed to his chest and he couldn't bear to look at her. He would lose it if he did. He felt slender arms snaking around him and his head came to rest in the crook of her neck.

They didn't speak or cry. They simply sat, feeling and wishing that time had skidded to a halt, and they didn't have to move from that moment until they wanted to. There had been very few moments of surrender in their partnership, and none as heartbreaking as this.

His mind flashed through the mental pictures of this week. Walking on the beach at sunset. Waking up to the sound of seagulls. The look on her face right before she took off running into the ocean. Her smile when the skee-ball game spit out 300 tickets. They way she had taken his hand and pulled him towards the swings, as if she was seven again. They way she had laughed as he tried unsuccessfully to skimboard, and the way she had fixed him up after the skimboard had scraped his leg up. The pure happiness with which she had eaten cotton candy and sea foam and salt water taffy, and the glares she had given him while rolling on the bed, holding her stomach, asking over and over again why he had let her eat so much. Her laughter skimming over the water as they danced in the surf. Her sleepy smile as she sat next to their tiny beach bonfire, resting her head on his shoulder and twirling a marshmallow over the flames.

That's what she had been doing this entire week. She'd been giving him memories to hold on to when she was gone. That realization in and of itself was more valuable than the memories, and only made him hold her tighter.

* * *

He stayed in her room that night, watching her sleep. She was curled up next to him, her head on his chest and her hand splayed over his stomach. She looked fine. Beautiful and happy and everything he wanted her to be. But it was a façade, a trick, a lie. Her body was killing her. From the inside out in the cruelest betrayal ever known.

He couldn't take it anymore. He had to escape this feeling so he could come back and be ready to help her. Ready to be strong.

He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently, then slipped from the bed and quietly changed his clothes before heading out of the hotel.

He started to run along the streets, his feet splashing through the puddles that had gathered in the concrete depressions. His body couldn't carry him fast enough and the frustration he was feeling gave him an intense energy. It felt as if every muscle in his body would burst. He ran a few miles, sobs wrenching from his chest with every step. It was taxing on his body and he soon had to stop. He fell to his knees in the soft grass, crying until he couldn't anymore.

He let himself accept the situation, and he stood up and headed back to her.

"Did you run?" she asked softly as he slid into bed next to her.

"Yeah."

"Feel better?"

"No."

"I think I would be offended if you said yes," she remarked, resuming her previous position.

He ran his fingers through her hair and planted a kiss on her temple. He wanted to catalogue that feeling, cherish it as a magician cherishes his secrets.

"I don't want to leave you," she whispered, burying her face in his chest. "I don't want to go to sleep and not wake up. I don't want to miss out on everything."

His fingers traveled up and down her spine and he held her just a little tighter. His hands were trembling and he took deep breaths. He wanted to be strong for her, but he knew that it would hurt her more if he wasn't real with her.

"I don't want you to go either, Scully. I don't want to live my life if you're not there with me."

"Don't say that, Mulder. Don't."

A tear ran from his eye, across the bridge of his nose, and dropped in her hair.

"I just don't know how I'll function without you."

She didn't answer, instead just let the tears flow. He had a feeling this was the first time she had cried since learning the diagnosis. He hated to think of her hearing the news all alone, carrying this weight on her shoulders for so long. The disease had been destroying her insides, but so had the task of carrying the burden by herself.

"Scully?"

"Yes?"

"I'm going to be right there with you. The whole time, every moment. You don't have to worry about being alone unless you want to be. I'll always be right here, just like this."

"You don't have to."

"I'd go crazy if I couldn't."

"Thank you.

"I know it doesn't fix anything or make you better, but at least it's something."

"It does more than you think, Mulder."

He held her until both of their tears stopped. Her body was limp against his, her eyes barely open, and he gently brushed a lock of hair out of her face.

"I don't want to leave here," she whispered. He nodded and rolled over onto his back, and she settled herself into his chest.

"We'll come back," he promised. "Whenever you want, we'll come back and go walking on the beach."

"I feel alive here."

"Then we'll definitely be back. I promise."

She didn't bother telling him that he couldn't predict the future. She didn't say that they might not have time. Instead, she just nodded, allowing herself to hope that they'd keep coming back here, where the wind was fierce, the water made one forget, and they could both breathe like they'd never breathed before.


	8. Sunset

He leaned against the old porch rail, breathing in the now familiar scent of the ocean. He'd been standing there for an hour, watching the sun in its trip lower and lower in the sky, and the sky was just now tinging in pink.

His eyes drifted down to the beach, taking in all the things she'd loved. The color of the water that got darker as it reached the horizon. The way that every splash of the waves on the beach were different. The thin line of foam that marked the progress of the water inland. The way the sand was wet, then crunchy, then silky.

He thought about that summer a lot, his mind playing the constant memory stream whenever he wanted. It had been the happiest time of his life, and the only time he felt at peace. After retirement, coming back here had seemed like the only thing to do. He'd bought one of the beach houses that he had remembered her looking at, and settled into a new life. Being here brought him the same feelings that it had brought to her. Peace and serenity and something else that he couldn't quite place. She had been right. Everything else just faded away.

There was a soft clicking noise on the porch behind him and he turned to find his old mutt, Jethro. The dog's fur had turned gray, and simply for that, Mulder believed they were old, kindred spirits. He reached down and patted Jethro's head, and Jethro licked his wrist in return.

"Thanks, old guy," he said, his eyes focused on the last sliver of sun over the water. He felt a hand on his back, but didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Dinner's ready, Mulder. Are you coming in?"

"Yeah."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Just remembering."

She nodded and he pulled her into a hug, kissing her hair. He looked at her and only saw that young, beautiful woman that walked into his office so many years ago. He didn't notice the wrinkles, the graying hair. He didn't look at her and see her sick or in pain. He saw her happy, as she had been that whole week that they had spend together. Happy as she was now, right here with him, sharing his life.

It was a miracle that he thanked God for every day. He had been so close to losing her for good, but somehow, some way, he'd gotten a second chance. They had gotten a second chance, together.

"Remembering good stuff, right?"

"Always."

He ran his fingers down her cheek and leaned in to kiss her. It never ceased to amaze him that he was really there with her, kissing her, loving her, laying down and sleeping next to her every night. He could look back on the years of being just friends and see the culmination of it all, even if he had been blind to it at the time.

She broke the kiss and he could feel her reluctance, which made up for her breaking the kiss in the first place.

"Dinner's getting cold," she said, squeezing his hand.

He nodded and whistled for Jethro to follow them into the house. They closed the screen but left the door open, listening as the world kept moving around them, but knowing that for now, their sunset wasn't anywhere near the horizon.

* * *

A/N: The End! Thanks for the reviews, I love you guys! And thank you to Oregon, for being my true soul mate. I'll see you in May!


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